Car-coupling



- T. ARMAT.

GAR COUPLING.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,664:, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed January 13 1887. Serial No. 221,2?6. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ARMAT, a citizen of the U nited States, residing at Richmond,

in the county of Henrico and'State of Vira side view of two cars provided with my improi'cd coupling, as seen when coupled together. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved coupling on the line was of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one of the cars.

Referring .to the drawings, in which similar letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A represents the draw-headhaving the flared opening or mouth B, the upper and rear side of which opening being curved down to meet the horizontal bottom of the opening at the point I). Cis a block bolted to the bottom of the saidopening and having a beveled front side, 0, and a beveled rear side, 0, the rear side being also curved in plan, for a purpose hereinafter explained. sustained under the frontpart of the car by the guide or sleeve 1), in which the draw-head is adapted to slide.

To the rear side of the draw-head A are bolted the front bentends of the side braces or cleats, 1 between the rear ends of which is bolted the front end of the heavy bar F,which is adapted'to slide in ways or guides G G,and has arigid collar or projection, H, between said ways or guides to limit the motion of the said bar F. The rear end of the b'a'rF,beyond the guide'G,is secured to the front side of an 5 elliptical spring, I, the rear side of which is secured rigidly to the bottom of the car. There fore it will be seen that any heavy body, as-a car,

coming against the end of the draw-head,wi1l force it in under thecar against the action of the powerful spring I; but said spring'being very strong, will receive and entirely deaden the shock caused by the contact. The sliding buffers K K, on either side of the draw-head,

The said draw-head is are also provided witlr elliptieal springs k k, arranged in the same manneras the spring 'I,

to receive and aid in deadening the shock of meeting cars,

L represents a sliding bolt having a square front end,aud adapted to operate in a horizontal opening. M, in the rear side of the drawli'ead, said bolt being, arranged to pass for a short distance over the top of the beveled block 0, and very close thereto, the forward motion of said bolt being limited by a pin, 1, in the rear of the draw-head. Between the said braces E,'a short distance inrear of the draw-head, is fixed a cross-plate, N, provided with an opening, a, through which passes the rear end of a stud, O, rigidly secured in the rear end of the bolt L,'and on said stud O, and bearing respectively against the plate N around the opening therein and the rear end of the bolt L, is fixeda spiral spring, P, the tendency of which is, to normally hold the bolt L- pressed forward over the rear side of the block'O.

Q is a rope or chain secured to the rear end of the stud O and passes around a pulley, R, some distance in rear of the saidstuchand then forward to the front part of the platform, where, after passing around a pulley, R, it is secured to a lever, S, which is journaled some distance below the car on'a depending standard, The-said lever S is carried some distance above the floor of the car or platform and adapted to be operated to draw back the bolt L, Fig. 4showing, in dotted lines, the position of the lever when said bolt is drawn back.

The motion of the lever in the opposite direction is limited by the pin or stud 8;

'1? will be contracted, and when the lever is released the bolt will be returned to its normal position and the lever will also be drawn up to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4.

When it is desired to couple two cars having my improved coupler, the cars are caused to approach each other, one having the coupling-link 1 held out horizontally from the draw-head. -When the front end of the said link reaches the opposite draw-head, it is raised by sliding up over the front beveled side of the block 0, presses back the bolt L, and drops behind the said block, while the bolt springs out over the link and locks it behind the said b1ock., It the approaching car having the link is higher than the other car, the front end of the link will enter the draw-head at the top,-and, sliding'down, (guided by the downwardly-curved top of the said draw-head,) will press the bolt back, and still e guided down until it clears the frontend of the bolt, when said bolt will spring out over the link and lock it in place. I

It will be seen that, as the rear side of the block is curved,the'liuk is enabled to hav'ea I firm hold, and as it is impossible for the link I to become disengaged from thelolock (as to do this it would be necessary to press back the bolt L, which is securely maintained in p0si- I tion by the spring'P) my coupling is perfectly safe and strong. A

To uncouple the cars, swing the lever in the direction-indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, and

- the bolt L will be drawn back against the action of the spring P by the rope or chain acting around the pulleys, andthe link will be free, it requiring but a slight pull upon the link to cause it to slide up over the beveled rear side of the block 0 and pass out of the draw-head.

I pleted in a moment. As thereis always a pull exerted on the coupling-link, the moment the lever is pressed down and the bolt or latch L retracted the link will pass out of the drawhead,and the lever being immediately released, the bolt 'will return to'its normal position and the coupling is in position to form another connection. A coupling is also madein an instant,for the link, guided by the block 0 or the top of the draw-head, is caused to act directl-y on the latch or bolt L, and as soon as said bolt is driven back the link passes behind the ,block and is secured there by the latch returning to its normal position. I

It will be seen that the action is very direct, 'the means employed are very simple, and the result attained is very satisfactory. There is no complication of devices which is easily put out of order and with difliculty repaired, and

. especially does my coupling device have an advantage over similar devices now in general use, in that the lever S is the only part of the mechanism which is visible from the platform of the car, it being of special advantage to pre serve the platform as free from the coupling and uncoupling mechanism as possible.

It will be observed that the action both in coupling and uncoupling is entirely under the car and out of the way, said action being further limited to a very small space under the car.

The means which I employ for breaking or deadening the shock of coupling ears are also very simple, yet strong and reliable.

Having th us described myinvention, what .I

,claim, and desire'to secure by Letters- P itenl;

of the United States, is-

This uncoupling action is com-- 1. In a ear coupli'ng, the draw-head adapted to slide in a guide or sleeve and joined to the front end of the bar F, adapted to slide in guides G G, and having the collar H, to limit the forward and backward motion of the said bar, combined with the elliptical spring I, to

receive theshock on the outer end of the drawhead, substantially as described, for the .purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupli ng; the draw-head having an opening therein,combined with a latch moving in a horizontal opening in'the rear side of the draw-head and having arearwardly-projecting stud provided with a spiral spring to press respectively'against the rear side of the said latch and a plate, N, provided with an opening through which the rear end of the 1 said stud projects, substantially as described,

for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the draw-head having a flared opening, the upper side of which is curved downwardly to meet the bottom, and the block beveled on the front side, combined with the spring-actuated latch to be pushed.

back by the engaging-link and adapted to 7 spring over the link when it drops behind the said block and hold it in engagement therewith, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth. 4. In a car-coupling, the draw-head having an opening therein and the beveled block, combined with the spring-actuated latch to be normally held protruded over the top of the said block, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a car-coupling, the draw-head having .an opening therein, the block beveled on the front side and the spring-actuated latch, combined with the chain secured at one end to the said latch and passing around the pulleys R R,secured at the other end to the lever S, pivoted below the car vto a standard, S, said lever being adapted to be pressed to one side to draw upon the said chain and retract the latchysubstantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car-coupling, the drawhead having a flared mouth and an opening with the upper side downwardly curved to meet the lowerside,

' and the block beveled on front and rear sides,

combined with the spring-actuated latch or- 

